A Godfather's Duty
by IHateSnakes
Summary: Sirius Black discovers that he has exactly what it takes to be Harry's Godfather.  A brief look into the last few minutes of Black's life.  Note: There are subtle differences in the seemingly repetitive sections.


**A Godfather's Duty**

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. The plot to this story comes from an episode of Star Trek: TNG titled Cause and Effect, the movie Groundhog Day, and myself.

**ONE**

"None," Said Sirius Black in a slightly bored voice, tipping back his chair on its two rear legs.

Remus Lupin groaned, _Not again!_ Seeing Black hold all five of his cards bode ill for this hand of poker. The werewolf's piles of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts were embarrassingly small compared to his best friend's mountains of gold, silver and bronze. Even Kinglsey Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks had more. It was an altogether depressing sight.

Sighing, Lupin tapped the table and held up three fingers, signaling his draw. Tonks shook her head in disbelief and dealt the cards.

"Two," Shacklebolt motioned.

"Dealer takes three," Tonks said a few seconds later. Looking at her new cards her hair turned yellow and she folded.

"Nice poker face, Dorie," Black commented dryly. Tonks stuck out her tongue. Lupin hid his irritation at Black for picking on her, though he knew it was just for fun.

"Ok, Padfoot, wha'd'you have?" Lupin asked, as if he didn't already have a pretty good idea.

"Full house: aces over tens." Seeing Lupin and Shacklebolt cringe, Black took in the pot. "How about some Blackjack? I like to give my guests a chance to win back some of their losses," he said magnanimously, even suppressing the twinge of guilt he felt for taking more of Lupin's meager savings.

"Black House Rules, I'll bet," Tonks snickered.

Black smiled, shaking his head. "Ok, ok, that's not what I meant." But he was cut off from further explanation by the arrival of a misty-grey bat: Severus Snape's Patronus.

The four friends and Order of the Phoenix members jumped up and went to the nearest fireplace, Snape's face was visible, the dull black eyes reflecting the fire's sparks faintly, behind his perpetual curtain of greasy hair. "Ah, Black… no doubt you just finished cheating your friends out of what little money they have. A true sign of a gentleman."

Black kicked a small pile of ash into the hearth. "What do you want _Snivvelus_?"

Snape's malevolent eyes brightened; he knew something Black didn't. "Oh, not too much… Your Godson has managed to get himself involved in illegal activities here at school. Not that that's something new, is it?"

"Is Harry alright, Severus?" Lupin asked calmly, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"I wouldn't know, Remus," Snape mused, "the last I saw of him he was being held by Dolores Umbridge; him and his fan club of imbeciles. You know, Longbottom, Weasley, that crowd."

"Why?" Black snapped impatiently.

"I'm sure I have no idea, but he seems to think you are being held by the Dark Lord at the Ministry. I was just fantasizing about that while waiting for you the get here."

Lupin had to touch Black's arm, seeing his jaw tighten, to keep him from jumping into the fire after Snape. "Is that all, Severus?"

"No, he said you were being held, 'Where it was hidden.'" Seeing the looks of confusion Snape continued, sarcasm dripping from every word. "The Department of Mysteries, you dolts. He's talking about the Prophecy."

Black swore violently. Shacklebolt gave Tonks a sign Lupin recognized as one to alert the Aurors, and Mad Eye Moody, asleep upstairs. Before she disappeared she reminded the others to notify Dumbledore, but Remus was already preparing the message. Snape, satisfied with himself, withdrew from the fireplace, his face vanishing in a puff of smoke and cinders.

"Meet me at the entrance to the Ministry," Shacklebolt told Lupin, and then himself disappeared.

Remus Lupin finished the note and gave it to his owl, Damocles, with instructions to hurry it to the Hogwarts Headmaster. As the owl flew off, he turned around to see Black, wearing his dueling robes, wand ready in his hand. "Where are you going, Padfoot?" he asked cautiously.

"You can't stop me, Moony, you know I have to go."

"You'll be in prison before the night's out. Or worse," Lupin said soberly.

"It doesn't matter, Harry's in trouble. If Voldemort's lured him to the Ministry it's bound to be a trap. We all know he wants the Prophecy." Black looked his friend in the eyes. "I have to go, Remus. Please don't make this difficult."

"God help us, Padfoot."

"Well, we'll see how His help shows itself tonight."

- - - - - - - -

"Dubbledore!" said Neville Longbottom, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light and then the witch turned his way. The blast of green light from her wand hit Harry squarely in the chest and he fell backwards onto Neville, dead.

Shocked into immobility, Sirius and Dumbledore looked at each other in horror but were quickly brought back to reality when a second jet of green missed both wizards by a fraction of an inch, its power singing the hair on the side of Black's head.

Recovering, and in a rage he had not felt since the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black launched a barrage of spells at his cousin, forcing her back. With time to do nothing but cast shields, Bellatrix was inexorably pushed, further and further, into the room with the man whose head was alternating between that of a child and an adult.

Dumbledore, shocked by the magnitude of what had just occurred, tried to join the fray but became distracted by another presence off in a side corridor. He could hear Sirius screaming curses between spells, damning his cousin to Hell. Then a powerful explosion was followed by silence. It was obvious one or both had been disabled, or killed. But Albus Dumbledore had too much on his mind at that moment to devote any more effort away from where he was now.

"Tom, it was very foolish of you to come here tonight. The Aurors will be here shortly and you captured."

Lord Voldemort said nothing but a jet of pale red shot at Dumbledore's feet. The aged wizard turned and disappeared before it struck. He reappeared a second later behind Voldemort and wordlessly cast a spell that sent thick ropes to bind him, but his opponent was too fast. With a casual flip of his wand he turned the ropes into a giant snake and then commanded it to attack.

"Too _kind_ to go for the kill, Dumbledore?" he sneered.

The snake was dispelled into smoke. "Tom, surely you realize there are far worse things than death," he replied casually, as if talking to a wayward pupil.

"_Nothing is worse than death, old man_."

"You are sadly mistaken, Tom." Drawing his wand back like a whip, Dumbledore cast a thunderous spell that Voldemort was able to block only by conjuring a silver shield. When the spell hit it was absorbed by the shield but the entire Ministry building shook.

Unshaken himself, Voldemort smiled and cast a killing curse at his opponent, this time Fawkes swooped down in a flash of gold and red, swallowing the curse and then exploding.

"Fawkes!"

Dumbledore and Voldemort were both startled and turned to see Sirius standing in the doorway, though shaken, he was the obvious winner of the duel with Bellatrix Lestrange. The Dark Wizard threw a spell at Black which easily penetrated his shield and pushed him back into the room he had just exited. And before Dumbledore could react he disappeared.

Albus Dumbledore, distracted by another possible death, ran to see if Black was injured, but he only took two steps before being struck down from behind. An evil laugh echoed in the room as Lord Voldemort approached his opponent.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_ The green light encompassed Dumbledore and for a moment and appeared to be stopped, but then it was over. Albus Dumbledore was dead and Lord Voldemort stepped on his body as he walked after Sirius Black.

Lord Voldemort sneered over the semi-conscious man on the floor. "_You'll trouble me no more, either, Black._"

_It's almost time, _Sirius knew, he would soon be dead. He was coughing up blood and becoming dizzy.

Unable to defend himself physically or magically, Sirius could only lay there. He could tell Voldemort was preparing to use the Killing Curse. Waves of green magic radiated from Lord Voldemort's body as he roared.

_This is it._

"_Avada Kedavra" _

The curse picked Sirius up bodily and threw him over the desk and into the shelves. Dozens of Time Turners and other strange and magical objects exploded in a shower of glass, metal and sand. Then the lifeless body tilted to the left and lay still on the floor. Sirius Black was dead.

**TWO**

"None," Said Sirius Black in a slightly bored voice, tipping back his chair on its two rear legs.

Remus Lupin groaned, _Not again!_ Seeing Black hold all five of his cards bode ill for this hand of poker. The werewolf's piles of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts were embarrassingly small compared to his best friend's mountains of gold, silver and bronze. Even Kinglsey Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks had more. It was an altogether depressing sight.

Sighing, Lupin tapped the table and held up three fingers, signaling his draw. Tonks shook her head in disbelief and dealt the cards.

"Two," Shacklebolt motioned.

"Dealer takes three," Tonks said a few seconds later. Looking at her new cards her hair turned yellow and she folded.

"Nice poker face, Dorie," Black commented dryly. Tonks stuck out her tongue. Lupin hid his irritation at Black for picking on her, though he knew it was just for fun.

"Ok, Padfoot, wha'd'you have?" Lupin asked, as if he didn't already have a pretty good idea.

"Full house: aces over tens." Seeing Lupin and Shacklebolt cringe, Black took in the pot. "How about some Blackjack? I like to give my guests a chance to win back some of their losses," he said magnanimously, even suppressing the twinge of guilt he felt for taking more of Lupin's meager savings.

"Black House Rules, I'll bet," Tonks snickered.

"What did you say, Dorie?" Black snapped.

"What are you peeved about, Padfoot?" Lupin retorted protectively.

Black smiled, shaking his head. "Ok, ok, that's not what I meant… I just thought…" But he was cut off from further explanation by the arrival of a misty-grey bat: Severus Snape's Patronus.

The four friends and Order of the Phoenix members jumped up and went to the nearest fireplace, Snape's face was visible, the dull black eyes reflecting the fire's sparks faintly, behind his perpetual curtain of greasy hair. "Ah, Black… no doubt you just finished cheating your _friends_ out of what little money they have. A true sign of a gentleman."

Black kicked a small pile of ash into the hearth. "What do you want _Snivvelus_?"

Snape's malevolent eyes brightened; he knew something Black didn't. "Oh, not too much… Your Godson has managed to get himself involved in illegal activities here at school. Not that that's something new, is it?"

"Is Harry alright, Severus?" Lupin asked calmly, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"I wouldn't know, Remus," Snape mused, "the last I saw of him he was being held by Dolores Umbridge; him and his fan club of imbeciles. You know, Longbottom, Weasley, that crowd."

"Why?" Black snapped impatiently.

"I'm sure I have no idea, but he seems to think you are being held by the Dark Lord at the Ministry. I was just fantasizing about that while waiting for you the get here."

Lupin had to touch Black's arm, seeing his jaw tighten, to keep him from jumping into the fire after Snape. "Is that all, Severus?"

"No, he said you were being held, 'Where it was hidden.'" Seeing the looks of confusion Snape continued, sarcasm dripping from every word. "The Department of Mysteries, you dolts. He's talking about the Prophecy."

Black swore violently. Shacklebolt gave Tonks a sign Lupin recognized as one to alert the Aurors, and Mad Eye Moody, asleep upstairs. Before she disappeared she reminded the others to notify Dumbledore, but Remus was already preparing the message. Snape, satisfied with himself, withdrew from the fireplace, his face vanishing in a puff of smoke and cinders.

"Meet me at the entrance to the Ministry," Shacklebolt told Lupin, and then himself disappeared.

Remus Lupin finished the note and gave it to his owl, Damocles, with instructions to hurry it to the Hogwarts Headmaster. As the owl flew off, he turned around to see Black, wearing his dueling robes, wand ready in his hand. "Where are you going, Padfoot?" he asked cautiously.

"You can't stop me, Moony, you know I have to go."

"You'll be in prison before the night's out. Or worse," Lupin said soberly.

"It doesn't matter, Harry's in trouble. If Voldemort's lured him to the Ministry it's bound to be a trap. We all know he wants the Prophecy." Black looked his friend in the eyes. "I _have_ to go, Remus. Please don't make this difficult."

"God help us, Padfoot."

"Well, we'll see how His help shows itself tonight."

- - - - - - - -

"Dubbledore!" said Neville Longbottom, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius hesitate, almost too long, then he ducked Bellatrix's jet of red light. She turned his way. The blast of green light from her wand hit Harry squarely in the chest and he fell backwards onto Neville, dead.

Shocked into immobility, Sirius and Dumbledore looked at each other in horror but were quickly brought back to reality when a second jet of green missed both wizards by a fraction of an inch, its power singing the hair on the side of Black's head.

Recovering, and in a rage he had not felt since the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black launched a barrage of spells at his cousin, forcing her back. With time to do nothing but cast shields, Bellatrix was inexorably pushed, further and further, into the room with the man whose head was alternating between that of a child and an adult.

Dumbledore, shocked by the magnitude of what had just occurred, tried to join the fray but became distracted by another presence off in a side corridor. He could hear Sirius screaming curses between spells, damning his cousin to Hell. Then a powerful explosion was followed by silence. It was obvious one or both had been disabled, or killed. But Albus Dumbledore had too much on his mind at that moment to devote any more effort away from where he was now.

"Tom, it was very foolish of you to come here tonight. The Aurors will be here shortly and you captured."

Lord Voldemort said nothing but a jet of pale red shot at Dumbledore's feet. The aged wizard turned and disappeared before it struck. He reappeared a second later behind Voldemort and wordlessly cast a spell that sent thick ropes to bind him, but his opponent was too fast. With a casual flip of his wand he turned the ropes into a giant snake and then commanded it to attack.

"Too kind to go for the kill, Dumbledore?" he sneered.

The snake was dispelled into smoke. "Tom, surely you realize there are far worse things than death," he replied casually, as if talking to a wayward pupil.

"_Nothing is worse than death, old man_."

"You are sadly mistaken, Tom." Drawing his wand back like a whip, Dumbledore cast a thunderous spell that Voldemort was able to block only by conjuring a silver shield. When the spell hit it was absorbed by the shield but the entire Ministry building shook.

Unshaken himself, Voldemort smiled and cast a killing curse at his opponent, this time Fawkes swooped down in a flash of gold and red, swallowing the curse and then exploding.

"Fawkes!"

Dumbledore and Voldemort were both startled and turned to see Sirius standing in the doorway, though shaken, he was the obvious winner of the duel with Bellatrix Lestrange. The Dark Wizard threw a spell at Black which easily penetrated his shield and pushed him back into the room he had just exited. And before Dumbledore could react he disappeared.

Albus Dumbledore, distracted by another possible death, ran to see if Black was injured, but he only took two steps before being struck down from behind. An evil laugh echoed in the room as Lord Voldemort approached his opponent.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_ The green light encompassed Dumbledore and for a moment and appeared to be stopped, but then it was over. Albus Dumbledore was dead and Lord Voldemort stepped on his body as he walked after Sirius Black.

_This is it, he knew… but why does this seem familiar?_

"_Avada Kedavra" _

The curse picked Sirius up bodily and threw him over the desk and into the shelves. Dozens of Time Turners and other strange and magical objects exploded in a shower of glass, metal and sand. Then the lifeless body tilted to the left and lay still on the floor. Sirius Black was dead.

**THREE**

"None," Said Sirius Black in a slightly bored voice, tipping back his chair on its two rear legs.

Remus Lupin groaned, _Not again!_ Seeing Black hold all five of his cards bode ill for this hand of poker. The werewolf's piles of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts were embarrassingly small compared to his best friend's mountains of gold, silver and bronze. Even Kinglsey Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks had more. It was an altogether depressing sight.

Sighing, Lupin tapped the table and held up three fingers, signaling his draw. Tonks shook her head in disbelief and dealt the cards.

"Two," Shacklebolt motioned.

"Dealer takes three," Tonks said a few seconds later. Looking at her new cards her hair turned yellow and she folded.

"Nice poker face, Dorie," Black commented dryly. Tonks stuck out her tongue. Lupin hid his irritation at Black for picking on her, though he knew it was just for fun.

"Ok, Padfoot, wha'd'you have?" Lupin asked, as if he didn't already have a pretty good idea.

"Full house: aces over tens." Seeing Lupin and Shacklebolt cringe, Black took in the pot. "How about some Blackjack? I like to give my guests a chance to win back some of their losses," he said magnanimously, even suppressing the twinge of guilt he felt for taking more of Lupin's meager savings.

"Black House Rules, I'll bet," Tonks snickered.

"What did you say, Dorie?" Black snapped.

"What are you peeved about, Padfoot?" Lupin retorted protectively, but stopped when he saw his friend's expression. "What is it, Sirius?"

Black smiled, shaking his head. "I just thought… sorry, Dorie, never mind." Just then a misty-grey bat appeared: Severus Snape's Patronus.

The four friends and Order of the Phoenix members jumped up and went to the nearest fireplace, Snape's face was visible, the dull black eyes reflecting the fire's sparks faintly, behind his perpetual curtain of greasy hair. "Ah, Black… no doubt you just finished cheating your friends out of what little money they have. A true sign of a gentleman."

Black kicked a small pile of ash into the hearth. "What do you want _Snivvelus_?"

Snape's malevolent eyes brightened; he knew something Black didn't. "Oh, not too much… Your Godson has managed to get himself involved in illegal activities here at school. Not that that's something new, is it?"

"Is Harry alright, Severus?" Lupin asked calmly, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"I wouldn't know, Remus," Snape mused, "the last I saw of him he was being held by Dolores Umbridge; him and his fan club of imbeciles. You know, Longbottom, Weasley, that crowd."

"Why?" Black snapped impatiently.

"I'm sure I have no idea, but he seems to think you are being held by the Dark Lord at the Ministry. I was just fantasizing about that while waiting for you the get here."

Lupin had to touch Black's arm, seeing his jaw tighten, to keep him from jumping into the fire after Snape. "Is that all, Severus?"

"No, he said you were being held, 'Where it was hidden.'"

"The Department of Mysteries?"

"Oh, _very_ good, Black," Snape taunted. "Perhaps there is some hope for you."

Black swore violently. Shacklebolt gave Tonks a sign Lupin recognized as one to alert the Aurors, and Mad Eye Moody, asleep upstairs. Before she disappeared she reminded the others to notify Dumbledore, but Remus was already preparing the message. Snape, satisfied with himself, withdrew from the fireplace, his face vanishing in a puff of smoke and cinders.

"Meet me at the entrance to the Ministry," Shacklebolt told Lupin, and then himself disappeared.

Remus Lupin finished the note and gave it to his owl, Damocles, with instructions to hurry it to the Hogwarts Headmaster. As the owl flew off, he turned around to see Black, wearing his dueling robes, wand ready in his hand. "Where are you going, Padfoot?" he asked cautiously.

"You can't stop me, Moony, you know I have to go."

"You'll be in prison before the night's out. Or worse," Lupin said soberly.

"It doesn't matter, Harry's in trouble. If Voldemort's lured him to the Ministry it's bound to be a trap. We all know he wants the Prophecy." Black looked his friend in the eyes. "I have to go, Remus. Please don't make this difficult."

"God help us, Padfoot."

"Well, we'll see how His help shows itself tonight."

- - - - - - - -

"Dubbledore!" said Neville Longbottom, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius, his face showing nothing but confusion, hesitate, almost too long, then he ducked Bellatrix's jet of red light. She turned his way. The blast of green light from her wand hit Harry squarely in the chest and he fell backwards onto Neville, dead.

Shocked into immobility, Sirius and Dumbledore looked at each other in horror but were quickly brought back to reality when a second jet of green missed both wizards by a fraction of an inch, its power singing the hair on the side of Black's head.

Recovering, and in a rage he had not felt since the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black launched a barrage of spells at his cousin, forcing her back. With time to do nothing but cast shields, Bellatrix was inexorably pushed, further and further, into the room with the man whose head was alternating between that of a child and an adult.

Dumbledore, shocked by the magnitude of what had just occurred, tried to join the fray but became distracted by another presence off in a side corridor. He could hear Sirius screaming curses between spells, damning his cousin to Hell. Then a powerful explosion was followed by silence. It was obvious one or both had been disabled, or killed. But Albus Dumbledore had too much on his mind at that moment to devote any more effort away from where he was now.

"Tom, it was very foolish of you to come here tonight. The Aurors will be here shortly and you captured."

Lord Voldemort said nothing but a jet of pale red shot at Dumbledore's feet. The aged wizard turned and disappeared before it struck. He reappeared a second later behind Voldemort and wordlessly cast a spell that sent thick ropes to bind him, but his opponent was too fast. With a casual flip of his wand he turned the ropes into a giant snake and then commanded it to attack.

"Too _kind_ to go for the kill, Dumbledore?" he sneered.

The snake was dispelled into smoke. "Tom, surely you realize there are far worse things than death," he replied casually, as if talking to a wayward pupil.

"_Nothing is worse than death, old man_."

"You are sadly mistaken, Tom." Drawing his wand back like a whip, Dumbledore cast a thunderous spell that Voldemort was able to block only by conjuring a silver shield. When the spell hit it was absorbed by the shield but the entire Ministry building shook.

Unshaken himself, Voldemort smiled and cast a killing curse at his opponent, this time Fawkes swooped down in a flash of gold and red, swallowing the curse and then exploding.

"Fawkes!"

Dumbledore and Voldemort were both startled and turned to see Sirius standing in the doorway, though shaken, he was the obvious winner of the duel with Bellatrix Lestrange; his face still carried the horror of Harry's death. The Dark Wizard threw a spell at Black which easily penetrated his weakened shield and pushed him back into the room he had just exited. And before Dumbledore could react he disappeared.

Albus Dumbledore, distracted by yet another possible death, ran to see if Black was injured, but he only took two steps before being struck down from behind. An evil laugh echoed in the room as Lord Voldemort approached his opponent.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_ The green light encompassed Dumbledore and for a moment and appeared to be stopped, but then it was over. Albus Dumbledore was dead and Lord Voldemort stepped on his body as he walked after Sirius Black.

Lord Voldemort sneered over the semi-conscious man on the floor. "_You'll trouble me no more, either, Black._"

_This is it,_ he knew… _he knew!_ But how?

"_Avada Kedavra" _

The curse picked Sirius up bodily and threw him over the desk and into the shelves. Dozens of Time Turners and other strange and magical objects exploded in a shower of glass, metal and sand. Then the lifeless body tilted to the left and lay still on the floor. Sirius Black was dead.

**FOUR**

"None," Said Sirius Black in a slightly bored voice, tipping back his chair on its two rear legs. _What?_

Remus Lupin groaned, _Not again!_ Seeing Black hold all five of his cards bode ill for this hand of poker. The werewolf's piles of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts were embarrassingly small compared to his best friend's mountains of gold, silver and bronze. Even Kinglsey Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks had more. It was an altogether depressing sight.

Sighing, Lupin tapped the table and held up three fingers, signaling his draw. Tonks shook her head in disbelief and dealt the cards.

"Two," Shacklebolt motioned.

"Dealer takes three," Tonks said a few seconds later. Looking at her new cards her hair turned yellow and she folded.

"Nice poker face, Dorie," Black commented dryly. Tonks stuck out her tongue. Lupin hid his irritation at Black for picking on her, though he knew it was just for fun.

"Ok, _Padfoot_, wha'd'you have?" Lupin asked, as if he didn't already have a pretty good idea.

"Full house: aces over tens." Seeing Lupin and Shacklebolt cringe, Black took in the pot. "How about some Blackjack? I like to give my guests a chance to win back some of their losses," he said magnanimously, even suppressing the twinge of guilt he felt for taking more of Lupin's meager savings.

"Black House Rules, I'll bet," Tonks snickered.

"What did you… say….?" Black said.

"What is it, Sirius?"

Black shook his head. "I – we've done this… _Snape!_" A second later a misty-grey bat appeared: Severus Snape's Patronus.

Remus, Tonks and Shacklebolt looked at Sirius questioningly but followed him to the nearest fireplace, Snape's face was visible, the dull black eyes reflecting the fire's sparks faintly, behind his perpetual curtain of greasy hair. "Ah, Black… no doubt you just finished cheating your friends out of what little money they have. A true sign of a gentleman."

Sirius looked like he'd been slapped. "Harry's in trouble, isn't he?"

Snape's malevolent eyes squinted. "How did you know? But, yes, your Godson has managed to get himself involved in illegal activities here at school. Not that that's something new, is it?"

"Is Harry alright, Severus?" Lupin asked.

"I wouldn't know, _Remus_," Snape mused, "the last I saw of him he was being held by Dolores Umbridge; him and his fan club of imbeciles. You know, Longbottom, Weasley, that crowd."

"He's at the Ministry, Snape, isn't he?" Black snapped impatiently.

The Potions Professor looked reluctant to answer. "Yes, but…"

Black swore violently. Shacklebolt gave Tonks a sign Lupin recognized as one to alert the Aurors, and Mad Eye Moody, asleep upstairs. Before she disappeared she reminded the others to notify Dumbledore, but Remus was already preparing the message. Snape, satisfied with himself, withdrew from the fireplace, his face vanishing in a puff of smoke and cinders.

"Meet me at the entrance to the Ministry," Shacklebolt told Lupin, and then himself disappeared.

Remus Lupin finished the note and gave it to his owl, Damocles, with instructions to hurry it to the Hogwarts Headmaster. As the owl flew off, he turned around to see Black, wearing his dueling robes, wand ready in his hand. "Where are you going, Padfoot?" he asked cautiously.

"_You can't stop me, _Moony_, you know I have to go._"

"You'll be in _prison_ before the night's out. Or worse," Lupin said soberly.

"It doesn't matter, Harry's in trouble. If Voldemort's lured him to the Ministry it's bound to be a trap. We all know he wants the Prophecy." Black looked his friend in the eyes. "I _have_ to go, Remus. Please don't make this difficult."

"God help us, Padfoot."

"Well, we'll see how His help shows itself tonight."

- - - - - - - -

"Dubbledore!" said Neville Longbottom, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius, his face showing nothing but confusion, but he was easily parrying each curse Bellatrix was throwing at him, as if he knew which would be next. Then she slipped around a corner and turned towards Harry who was helpless, assisting Neville. The blast of green light from her wand hit Harry squarely in the chest and he fell backwards onto Neville, dead.

Shocked into immobility, Sirius and Dumbledore looked at each other in horror but were quickly brought back to reality when a second jet of green missed both wizards by a fraction of an inch, its power singing the hair on the side of Black's head.

Recovering, and in a rage he had not felt since the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black launched a barrage of spells at his cousin, forcing her back. With time to do nothing but cast shields, Bellatrix was inexorably pushed, further and further, into the room with the man whose head was alternating between that of a child and an adult.

Dumbledore, shocked by the magnitude of what had just occurred, tried to join the fray but became distracted by another presence off in a side corridor. He could hear Sirius screaming curses between spells, damning his cousin to Hell. Then a powerful explosion was followed by silence. It was obvious one or both had been disabled, or killed. But Albus Dumbledore had too much on his mind at that moment to devote any more effort away from where he was now.

"Tom, it was very foolish of you to come here tonight. The Aurors will be here shortly and you captured."

Lord Voldemort said nothing but a jet of pale red shot at Dumbledore's feet. The aged wizard turned and disappeared before it struck. He reappeared a second later behind Voldemort and wordlessly cast a spell that sent thick ropes to bind him, but his opponent was too fast. With a casual flip of his wand he turned the ropes into a giant snake and then commanded it to attack.

"Too _kind_ to go for the kill, Dumbledore?" he sneered.

The snake was dispelled into smoke. "Tom, surely you realize there are far worse things than death," he replied casually, as if talking to a wayward pupil.

"_Nothing is worse than death, old man_."

Sirius, recovered from the blast that had killed Bellatrix, stood in the doorway watching Dumbledore and Voldemort duel. He watched for an opening.

"You are sadly mistaken, Tom." Drawing his wand back like a whip, Dumbledore cast a thunderous spell that Voldemort was able to block only by conjuring a silver shield. When the spell hit it was absorbed by the shield but the entire Ministry building shook.

Unshaken himself, Voldemort smiled and cast a killing curse at his opponent, this time Fawkes swooped down in a flash of gold and red, swallowing the curse and then exploding.

Startled by the apparent death of the Phoenix, Black started to cry out, but then stifled the call. Too late.

Dumbledore and Voldemort were both startled and turned to see Sirius standing in the doorway, though shaken, he was the obvious winner of the duel with Bellatrix Lestrange; his face still carried the horror of Harry's death. The Dark Wizard threw a spell at Black which easily penetrated his weakened shield and hurled him back into the room he had just exited; before Dumbledore could react he disappeared.

Albus Dumbledore, distracted by yet another possible death, ran to see if Black was injured, but he only took two steps before being struck down from behind. An evil laugh echoed in the room as Lord Voldemort approached his opponent.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_ The green light encompassed Dumbledore and for a moment and appeared to be stopped, but then it was over. Albus Dumbledore was dead and Lord Voldemort stepped on his body as he walked after Sirius Black.

Lord Voldemort sneered over the semi-conscious man on the floor. "_You'll trouble me no more, either, Black._"

_This is it,_ he knew… _he knew!_ _But how?_

"_Avada Kedavra" _

The curse picked Sirius up bodily and threw him over the desk and into the shelves. Dozens of Time Turners and other strange and magical objects exploded in a shower of glass, metal and sand. Then the lifeless body tilted to the left and lay still on the floor. Sirius Black was dead.

**FIVE**

Sirius Black looked at his cards knowing he would draw no more. _Aces over tens... _"Moony, something's going on here."

Remus Lupin groaned, _Not again!_ "Spot on, Padfoot, you're going to beat us. What else is new?"

"No, that's not it." Black looked at each player. "Remus, you have an ace and a king that you're going to keep. Dorie, you have two sevens. Kingsley, you have three fives. And none of you will draw anything good. Go ahead, Dorie, please deal the cards."

Looking distinctly uncomfortable, Tonks looked to Lupin and saw him ask for three cards.

"Don't shake your head _no_, Dorie. You know he'll keep playing," Remus said just before she thought the same thing.

"How…?"

"Trust me."

"Rubbish. Right, Moony?" Black asked. Lupin nodded in amazement as Tonks looked to Shacklebolt.

"Two," he said suspiciously, looking at his host. "How did you…?" Black held up his hand.

"Dealer's taking two, right, Dorie?"

"Yeah, Sirius."

Before she could look at her cards Sirius said quietly to Remus, "Does her hair always turn yellow when she draws dung?" Lupin snorted a laugh, nodding. Then Tonks's hair did turn yellow.

"What's going on, Padfoot? Is this deck marked?"

Shacklebolt answered. "No, it isn't, Remus. I checked the deck before we started and it was clean." Black looked affronted at first but then became more grave.

"You three, and me, we've all done this before. I don't know how I know but…" He trailed off in confusion.

"Déjà vu?" Tonks asked.

"No, that wouldn't explain the cards… or the fact that Snape's Patronus is about to… follow me." Sirius jumped up and ran to the parlor where Severus Snape's head was just appearing in the fireplace.

"Ah, Black and his…" Snape started, but Sirius cut him off.

"Have you sent your Patronus yet?"

"No, you're here. Why should I?"

"And Harry's in trouble, isn't he?"

Snape's malevolent eyes squinted. "How did you know? But, yes, your Godson has managed to get himself involved in illegal activities here at school. Not that that's something new, is it?"

"Is Harry alright, Severus?" Lupin asked.

"I wouldn't know, _Remus_," Snape mused, "the last I saw of him he was being held by Dolores Umbridge; him and his fan club of imbeciles. You know, Longbottom, Weasley, that crowd."

"He's at the Ministry, Snape, isn't he?" Black snapped impatiently.

The Potions Professor looked reluctant to answer. "Yes, but…"

Black swore violently. Shacklebolt gave Tonks a sign Lupin recognized as one to alert the Aurors, and Mad Eye Moody, asleep upstairs. Before she disappeared she reminded the others to notify Dumbledore, but Remus was already preparing the message. Snape, satisfied with himself, withdrew from the fireplace, his face vanishing in a puff of smoke and cinders.

"Meet me at the entrance to the Ministry," Shacklebolt told Lupin, and then himself disappeared.

Remus Lupin finished the note and gave it to his owl, Damocles, with instructions to hurry it to the Hogwarts Headmaster. As the owl flew off, he turned around to see Black, wearing his dueling robes, wand ready in his hand.

"What's happening, Padfoot?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm not completely sure, Moony. I distinctly recall the past few minutes happening before, and something…something bad is going to happen. I just can't see it clearly until it's about to happen."

"Is it about Harry?"

"Yes… and no. I'm not sure. Let's go to the Ministry and sort things out."

"Hang on old friend. If you're seen there you'll be back in Azkaban before midnight. Wait! That must be it, you're going to be captured."

Sirius looked unconvinced. "I…maybe, but we have to get there and see what Harry's into."

"But what if you're captured?" Lupin tried to reason.

"Then I'm captured. But I think this has more to do with Harry than me. No more talking, let's go."

- - - - - - - -

"Dubbledore!" said Neville Longbottom, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius, his face showing nothing but confusion, but he was easily parrying each curse Bellatrix was throwing at him, as if he knew which would be next. Then she slipped around a corner. Sirius leapt at her but she was too fast. She turned towards Harry, who was helpless, assisting Neville. The blast of green light shot from her wand, just above Sirius's prone form, and hit Harry squarely in the chest. He fell backwards onto Neville, dead.

Shocked, Sirius and Dumbledore looked at each other in horror but were quickly brought back to reality when the retreating Bellatrix shot a second jet of green that missed both wizards by a fraction of an inch, its power singing the hair on the side of Black's head.

Recovering, and in a rage he had not felt since the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black launched a barrage of spells at his cousin, forcing her back. With time to do nothing but cast shields, Bellatrix was inexorably pushed, further and further, into the room with the man whose head was alternating between that of a child and an adult.

Dumbledore, shocked by the magnitude of what had just occurred, tried to join the fray but became distracted by another presence off in a side corridor. He could hear Sirius screaming curses between spells, damning his cousin to Hell. Then a powerful explosion was followed by silence. It was obvious one or both had been disabled, or killed. But Albus Dumbledore had too much on his mind at that moment to devote any more effort away from where he was now.

"Tom, it was very foolish of you to come here tonight. The Aurors will be here shortly and you captured."

Lord Voldemort said nothing but a jet of pale red shot at Dumbledore's feet. The aged wizard turned and disappeared before it struck. He reappeared a second later behind Voldemort and wordlessly cast a spell that sent thick ropes to bind him, but his opponent was too fast. With a casual flip of his wand he turned the ropes into a giant snake and then commanded it to attack.

"Too kind to go for the kill, Dumbledore?" he sneered.

The snake was dispelled into smoke. "Tom, surely you realize there are far worse things than death," he replied casually, as if talking to a wayward pupil.

"_Nothing is worse than death, old man_."

Sirius, recovered from the blast that had killed Bellatrix, stood in the doorway watching Dumbledore and Voldemort duel. He watched for an opening.

"You are sadly mistaken, Tom." Drawing his wand back like a whip, Dumbledore cast a thunderous spell that Voldemort was able to block only by conjuring a silver shield. When the spell hit it was absorbed by the shield but the entire Ministry building shook.

Unshaken himself, Voldemort smiled and cast a killing curse at his opponent, this time Fawkes swooped down in a flash of gold and red, swallowing the curse and then exploding.

Startled by the apparent death of the Phoenix, Black started to cry out, but then stifled the call. Too late.

Dumbledore and Voldemort were both startled and turned to see Sirius standing in the doorway, though shaken, he was the obvious winner of the duel with Bellatrix Lestrange; his face still carried the horror of Harry's death. The Dark Wizard threw a spell at Black which easily penetrated his weakened shield and hurled him back into the room he had just exited; before Dumbledore could react he disappeared.

Albus Dumbledore, distracted by yet another possible death, ran to see if Black was injured, but he only took two steps before being struck down from behind. An evil laugh echoed in the room as Lord Voldemort approached his opponent.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_ The green light encompassed Dumbledore and for a moment and appeared to be stopped, but then it was over. Albus Dumbledore was dead and Lord Voldemort stepped on his body as he walked after Sirius Black.

Lord Voldemort sneered over the semi-conscious man on the floor. "_You'll trouble me no more, either, Black._"

_This is it, _he knew… _he knew!_ But how?

"_Avada Kedavra" _

The curse picked Sirius up bodily and threw him over the desk and into the shelves. Dozens of Time Turners and other strange and magical objects exploded in a shower of glass, metal and sand. Then the lifeless body tilted to the left and lay still on the floor. Sirius Black was dead.

**SIX**

Sirius Black looked at his cards knowing he would draw no more. _Aces over tens... _"Moony, something's going on here."

Remus Lupin groaned, _Not again!_ "Spot on, Padfoot, you're going to beat us. What else is new?"

"No, that's not it." Black looked at each player. "Remus, you have an ace and a king that you're going to keep. Dorie, you have two sevens. Kingsley, you have three fives. And none of you will draw anything good. Go ahead, Dorie, please deal the cards."

Looking distinctly uncomfortable, Tonks looked to Lupin and saw him ask for three cards.

"Don't shake your head _no_, Dorie. You know he'll keep playing," Remus said just before she thought the same thing.

"How…?"

"Trust me."

"Rubbish. Right, Moony?" Black asked. Lupin nodded in amazement as Tonks looked to Shacklebolt.

"Two," he said suspiciously, looking at his host. "How did you…?" Black held up his hand.

"Dealer's taking two, right, Dorie?"

"Yeah, Sirius."

Before she could look at her cards Sirius said quietly to Remus, "Does her hair always turn yellow when she draws dung?" Lupin snorted a laugh, nodding. Then Tonks's hair did turn yellow.

"What's going on, Padfoot? Is this deck marked?"

Shacklebolt answered. "No, it isn't, Remus. I checked the deck before we started and it was clean." Black looked affronted at first but then became more grave.

"You three, and me, we've all done this before. I don't know how I know but…" He trailed off in confusion.

"Déjà vu?" Tonks asked.

"No, that wouldn't explain the cards… or the fact that Snape's Patronus is about to… follow me." Sirius jumped up and ran to the parlor where Severus Snape's head was just appearing in the fireplace.

"Ah, Black and his…" Snape started, but Sirius cut him off.

"Have you sent your Patronus yet?"

"No, you're here. Why should I?"

"And Harry's in trouble, isn't he?"

Snape's malevolent eyes squinted. "How did you know? But, yes, your Godson has managed to get himself involved in illegal activities here at school. Not that that's something new, is it?"

"Is Harry alright, Severus?" Lupin asked.

"I wouldn't know, _Remus_," Snape mused, "the last I saw of him he was being held by Dolores Umbridge; him and his fan club of imbeciles. You know, Longbottom, Weasley, that crowd."

"He's at the Ministry, Snape, isn't he?" Black snapped impatiently.

The Potions Professor looked reluctant to answer. "Yes, but…"

Black swore violently. Shacklebolt gave Tonks a sign Lupin recognized as one to alert the Aurors, and Mad Eye Moody, asleep upstairs. Before she disappeared she reminded the others to notify Dumbledore, but Remus was already preparing the message. Snape, satisfied with himself, withdrew from the fireplace, his face vanishing in a puff of smoke and cinders.

"Meet me at the entrance to the Ministry," Shacklebolt told Lupin, and then himself disappeared.

Remus Lupin finished the note and gave it to his owl, Damocles, with instructions to hurry it to the Hogwarts Headmaster. As the owl flew off, he turned around to see Black, wearing his dueling robes, wand ready in his hand.

"What's happening, Padfoot?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm not completely sure, Moony. I distinctly recall the past few minutes happening before, and something…something bad is going to happen. I just can't see it clearly until it's imminent."

"Is it about Harry?"

"Yes… and no. I'm not sure. Let's go to the Ministry and sort things out."

"Hang on old friend. If you're seen there you'll be back in Azkaban before midnight. Wait! That must be it, you're going to be captured."

Sirius looked unconvinced. "I…maybe, but we have to get there and see what Harry's into."

"But what if you're captured?" Lupin pleaded again, trying to reason with Black.

"Then I'm captured. But I think this has more to do with Harry than me. No more talking, let's go."

- - - - - - - -

"Dubbledore!" said Neville Longbottom, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius, his face showing nothing but confusion, but he was easily parrying each curse Bellatrix was throwing at him, as if he knew which would be next. Then she turned to look behind her. Sirius could see she was looking for cover and leapt at her, but she was too fast. Harry, who was helpless, assisting Neville, looked up. The blast of green light shot from Bellatrix's wand, just above Sirius's prone form, and hit Harry squarelyin the chest. He fell backwards onto Neville, dead.

Sirius and Dumbledore looked at each other in horror but were quickly brought back to reality when the retreating Bellatrix shot a second jet of green that missed both wizards by a fraction of an inch, its power singing the hair on the side of Black's head.

Recovering, and in a rage he had not felt since the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black launched a barrage of spells at his cousin, forcing her back. With time to do nothing but cast shields, Bellatrix was inexorably pushed, further and further, into the room with the man whose head was alternating between that of a child and an adult.

Dumbledore, shaken by the magnitude of what had just occurred, tried to join the fray but became distracted by another presence off in a side corridor. He could hear Sirius screaming curses between spells, damning his cousin to Hell. Then a powerful explosion was followed by silence. It was obvious one or both had been disabled, or killed. But Albus Dumbledore had too much on his mind at that moment to devote any more effort away from where he was now.

"Tom, it was very foolish of you to come here tonight. The Aurors will be here shortly and you captured."

Lord Voldemort said nothing but a jet of pale red shot at Dumbledore's feet. The aged wizard turned and disappeared before it struck. He reappeared a second later behind Voldemort and wordlessly cast a spell that sent thick ropes to bind him, but his opponent was too fast. With a casual flip of his wand he turned the ropes into a giant snake and then commanded it to attack.

"Too kind to go for the kill, Dumbledore?" he sneered.

The snake was dispelled into smoke. "Tom, surely you realize there are far worse things than death," he replied casually, as if talking to a wayward pupil.

"_Nothing is worse than death, old man_."

Sirius, recovered from the blast that had killed Bellatrix, stood in the doorway watching Dumbledore and Voldemort duel. He watched for an opening and thought about what had happened to Harry. Sirius knew he had been here before, _but how_? And each time had resulted in Harry's death… _and my death?!_

Then he saw Fawkes go down. Just as he prepared to shout he realized that the Phoenix couldn't die and kept silent.

Dumbledore and Voldemort continued dueling until the Dark Wizard threw a spell at the ancient wizard which easily penetrated his weakened shield and hurled him back and onto the floor. Seeing Dumbledore laying motionless, Sirius cried out and ran towards Voldemort. An evil laugh echoed in the room as Lord Voldemort watched his opponent approach.

A bright orange light encompassed Sirius Black, throwing him back into the room he had just exited. Voldemort stepped on Dumbledore's body as he walked after Sirius Black. "You'll trouble me no more, either, Black."

_This is it, _he knew… _he knew!_ But how?

"_Avada Kedavra" _

The curse picked Sirius up bodily and threw him over the desk and into the shelves. Dozens of Time Turners and other strange and magical objects exploded in a shower of glass, metal and sand. Then the lifeless body tilted to the left and lay still on the floor. Sirius Black was dead.

**SEVEN**

"What's wrong, Padfoot?" Remus Lupin asked cautiously, seeing his friend greatly disturbed. Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt sat motionless anxiously awaiting the answer.

"I'm not… sure, Moony. I distinctly recall being here, just like this, and something…something bad is going to happen. I just can't see it clearly… but I _know_ it."

"Is it about you?"

"Yes… and no. I'm not sure. We have to get to the Ministry and sort things out, it has to do with Harry; he's in trouble."

"Why there…? Hang on old friend. If you're seen you'll be back in Azkaban before midnight… _Padfoot!_ That must be it, you're going to be captured. And why would Harry be at the Ministry?"

Sirius shook his head. "I…maybe, but we have to get there and see what Harry's into."

"Why do you think Potter's there?" Shacklebolt asked, speaking for the first time.

"He is, I know he is. And I think…" Sirius looked frightened for a second, "I think he'll be killed… by… by my cousin, Bellatrix. _Merlin!_ I know it! She'll duel me but run around a corner and kill Harry."

The other three share quick worried looks. Either Harry was about to die or Sirius was insane, they just were not sure which was more likely.

"_SNAPE!_ He's about to… follow me," said Sirius. Leading the way into the parlor, the four stood around the fireplace. "He's going to Floo us and say Harry's at the Ministry."

"Padfoot," said Lupin, a genuine tone of concern in his voice. But Sirius shook his arm off.

"Just… watch."

A minute later Snape's face appeared in the Floo's green flame, he looked surprised to see them waiting.

"Is Harry at the Ministry, Snape?" Sirius shouted.

"Wha…? He said you were there… how'd you know?"

Ignoring the Potions master, and turning to the now convinced others, he had a triumphant look.

"Ok," said Remus cautiously, completely ignoring Snape. "But what if you're captured?" Lupin pleaded.

"Then I'm captured. But I think this has more to do with Harry than me. No more talking, let's go."

- - - - - - - -

"Dubbledore!" said Neville Longbottom, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius, his face triumphant as he easily parried each of his cousin's spells, as if he knew precisely what was coming, and backing her up against a wall. Clearly she was trying to escape, but his Godfather shot a nasty white, arrow-shaped curse at her that blew a hole into the stone wall each time she moved to the side.

The battle between the cousins continued, on and on, as Dumbledore and the others finished capturing the other Death Eaters. But just as Dumbledore was able to turn his attention to Lestrange, a jet of green, the killing curse, came from one of the doors and struck the Headmaster, killing him instantly. All wands trained on Voldemort who casually strolled into the room, but nothing could stop him and one by one he started killing or incapacitating each order member.

Sirius, distracted by the newest combatant, lost his concentration and Bellatrix took the opportunity to send a blast of green light just past Sirius to hit Harry squarely in the chest. He fell backwards onto Neville, dead.

In a rage he had not felt since the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black launched another barrage of spells at his cousin, forcing her back. With time to do nothing but cast shields, Bellatrix was inexorably pushed, further and further, into the room with the man whose head was alternating between that of a child and an adult.

In a moment, Sirius cried out in triumph and ran towards Voldemort. An evil laugh echoed in the room as Lord Voldemort watched his opponent approach. Then a bright orange light encompassed Sirius Black, throwing him back into the room he had just exited. Voldemort walked casually after Sirius Black. "You'll trouble me no more, either, Black."

_This is it,_ he knew… _he knew!_ But how?

"_Avada Kedavra" _

The curse picked Sirius up bodily and threw him over the desk and into the shelves. Dozens of Time Turners and other strange and magical objects exploded in a shower of glass, metal and sand. Then the lifeless body tilted to the left and lay still on the floor. Sirius Black was dead.

**EIGHT**

"What's wrong, Padfoot?" Remus Lupin asked cautiously, seeing his friend greatly disturbed. Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt sat motionless anxiously awaiting the answer.

"I'm not… sure, Moony. I distinctly recall being here, just like this, and something…something bad is going to happen. I just can't see it clearly… but I _know_ it."

"Is it about you?"

"No, it's Harry. We have to get to the Ministry and sort things out; he's in trouble."

"Why there…? Hang on old friend. If you're seen you'll be back in Azkaban before midnight… _Padfoot!_ That must be it, you're going to be captured. And why would Harry be at the Ministry?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Why do you think Potter's there?" Shacklebolt asked, speaking for the first time.

"He is, I know he is." Sirius looked frightened for a second, "He'll be killed… by… by my cousin, Bellatrix. _Merlin!_ I know it! She'll duel me but run around a corner and kill Harry."

The other three share quick worried looks. Either Harry was about to die or Sirius was insane, they just were not sure which was more likely.

"_SNAPE!_ He'll be here shortly. Follow me," said Sirius. Leading the way into the parlor, the four stood around the fireplace. "He's going to Floo us and say Harry's at the Ministry."

"Padfoot," said Lupin, a genuine tone of concern in his voice. But Sirius shook his arm off.

"Just… watch."

A minute later Snape's face appeared in the Floo's green flame, he looked surprised to see them waiting.

"Is Harry at the Ministry, Snape?" Sirius shouted.

"Wha…? He said _you_ were there… how do you know this?"

Ignoring the Potions Master and turning to the now convinced others, he had a triumphant look.

"Ok," said Remus cautiously, completely ignoring Snape. "But what if you're captured?" Lupin pleaded.

"Then I'm captured. But I think this has more to do with Harry than me. No more talking, let's go."

- - - - - - - -

"Dubbledore!" said Neville Longbottom, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius easily duck Bellatrix's jet of red light.

At that moment, Sirius Black knew what he had to do. If he continued fighting he would delay so long that Voldemort would arrive and kill everyone. If he let up on Bellatrix, she would kill Harry. Dumbledore would be at Harry's side in just seconds, that was all the time he needed.

_I wonder what it will be like?_ Sirius thought as he dropped his wand arm and taunted his cousin, "Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room, distracting Bellatrix from her plan to kill Harry. She raised her wand, seeing the opening.

A second jet of light hit her cousin squarely in the chest.

Sirius was surprised, it wasn't the Avada Kedavra, just a stupid stunner, knocking him backwards and off-balance. He saw Dumbledore reach Harry. Harry was looking at him, and Bellatrix was running off. _Good! Harry's safe_, he thought as he felt the soft touch of silky fabric on his head and arms.

Then all went black.

"Padfoot, you bloody _dolt_. Can't you do anything right?"

"Let him be, James."

_James? What…?_

"Give me your hand," said the male voice. Sirius realized that his eyes were shut. Opening them, he saw through an immensely bright light to a hand that appeared from nowhere. He somehow knew he had to grasp it.

"Is Harry alright?" asked Sirius as a new yet familiar sensation washed over him. He looked behind him and saw a dark shape on the floor, it was himself. Turning back, the rest of the person assisting him up came into focus. "_James?_"

"Hello, Sirius," said James Potter solemnly, but with a genuine smile on his face. Behind him the form of Lily Potter took shape.

"Oh, no." It was all Sirius could think to say for a moment as he realized what had happened. He again looked behind himself and saw the veil waving slightly in an unfelt breeze. What he heard made him shudder.

_"SIRIUS! SIRIUS!" _

It was Harry, calling for him from the other side of the veil, but he knew there was no way for him to answer. A hand touched him softly on his shoulder and instantly drew him out of his melancholy.

"That was a noble thing you did, Sirius." This time it was Lily speaking, but he just shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Turning, he saw not only James and Lily but his brother Regulus; and Regulus was followed by many others he knew to have been murdered by Voldemort or his followers.

"But… how… how did I know what was going to happen? Did you tell me?"

"No," said James, touching his best friend's cheek. "See here."

The actions of the last thirty minutes immediately filled Sirius's mind and he laughed, "Ok, James, I _am_ a bloody dolt! But why I didn't cause a paradox? Wait! I _did_ cause one, didn't I?"

"Well, we here - on this side of the veil - have been discussing that. We're not sure, not yet at least, how you were able to manage that little feat of coming back to life. Our best guess is that you didn't, not completely, at least. When you were struck by Voldemort's killing curse you were thrown back into the shelves of Time Turners. One must have been activated, sending your soul or spirit back to an earlier time. Not too far, but far enough." James suddenly smiled. "It just took you a few times going through that cycle to understand what was happening. But any way you look at it, it was good for Harry."

Dumbfounded, Sirius could only mutter a half-hearted, "Yeah, I guess it was…"

"Want to come with us? We're going to ask _The Man Upstairs_ for a complete explanation." Lily beckoned him to follow.

"But… what about Harry and the others," Sirius asked, taking a step towards the veil and reaching out for it.

"_NO!_" James, Lily and Regulus all shouted together.

"You mustn't go back, Sirius," Regulus warned his brother.

"You _can't_ go back, Padfoot," said James more evenly. "Come with us now, we have much to show you."

Holding out their hands again, James, Lily and Regulus waited for the turmoil in their friend to fade away. With one last wistful look back at the veil, Sirius nodded and walked away with his family knowing he had fulfilled his duty as Harry's Godfather.


End file.
